


SSO Week - 28 Aug-3 Sep

by SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher (UglyTwinkBoi)



Category: Star Stable
Genre: M/M, SSO Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-09 00:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7780540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UglyTwinkBoi/pseuds/SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SSO Week: 28 Aug - 3 Sep</p><p>August 28: Longing<br/>August 29: Beach<br/>August 30: Gold<br/>August 31: Converse<br/>September 1: Fine Dining<br/>September 2: Stable<br/>September 3: Mine</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 28 August: Longing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longing - a yearning desire

'Morning, my boys and girls!' Ellie chirped cheerfully, walking into the stable.

Her various horses whinnied and neighed in return.

'Morning,' Sasha the Stable Girl replied, busy scooping up some dirty hay and depositing it in the wheelbarrow behind her.

Ellie checked Sasha the Stable Girl's schedule; she would be leaving tomorrow, their pre-paid business had come to a close. She would be sad to see Sasha the Stable Girl go, they had struck up quite a friendship.

Going over to Heinz with the tack and leg wraps, she put her hand on the bay's nose and rubbed it gently. The young horse blew out of his nostrils in appreciation and nudged against his owner's hand, lowering his head so that he was petted behind his ear, a particular favourite spot of his. Ellie smiled and gave him a good scratching session, then picked up a cloth and rubbed it over Heinz's back, clearing any dirt from his fur. She checked his legs for bumps and put on the leg wraps while she was there. Checking his hooves quickly, she straightened up. Picking up the blanket, she draped it over Heinz's back, closely followed by the saddle. She then came round to the bay's head and carefully put on the bridle, taking care not to rush him into taking the bit.

Once he was all nice and tacked up, Ellie led him out of his stall that he shared with Billy. She was looking forward to when these new stables were being built, she didn't know what she would be met with when construction was finished - and it looked as though no one else did either - but she hoped that she wouldn't have to double up her horses to share stalls.

Mounting up on Heinz, she gave a wave to her horses that she had left behind. 'See you later, guys, I'll be back soon!' she called. And with that she was gone.

In the wake of his owner and beloved mate stood a black horse with his head hanging low in longing. Longing that it wasn't Heinz who was in training right now. Longing that he could just be alone with his mate for more than the night and a little of the morning. Longing that it could just be him and Heinz, Heinz and he. Longing that he didn't have the rest of his friends looking at them all the time so that they could do more, be more, together.

With a sigh, Billy turned around in his stall - all alone despite his surrounding "herd" - and lay down, head resting against the rear wall.


	2. 29 August: Beach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
> Beach - a pebbly or sandy shore. run or haul up onto a beach

Golden Hills was a quiet place; the most action this place had seen was when they had been asked by the Councilman in Silverglade to get the key for the gates. People came to Jasper's, the Goldenleaf Forest and the stables to train and then left on the ferry to Jarlaheim or Fort Pinta; never stopped to just... take it in. The autumnal glow from the leaves and nipping wind; the shade that came over the sky casting yellows and oranges likened to fire, only much more peaceful.

In short, Ellie often came here just to get away from it all. When saving Jorvik, training, chores all got too much, she swung up on her horse - mostly Billy because he adored it at Golden Hills - and just left. Her mode of transport often varied depending on where she was; the ferry if she was in Fort Pinta or Jarlaheim or the trailer to the Riding Hall and a quick gallop through the gates along the path.

Now, having finished the races, she cantered up the hill, took the path to the west and then came down to touch upon the golden sands. Billy shook his head with a snort as he felt his hooves throw up grains of sand at every step.

It took a second or two for their eyes to adjust to the fierce glow that was reflected from the sun through the haze and onto the beach. Like fire being thrown in your face. They cantered down to the sea and splashed in the shallows; they daren't swim any further out for sharks were known around this part. No, they were quite happy to just paddle in the shallows.

Cantering along for a little way, still in the water, they came across a rider and horse who were racing. Bringing Billy to a gentle trot, Ellie raised her hand in greeting to the other rider, even though she knew she would not get a response. The black horse whinnied in boredom.

It didn't take long for them to be at a full gallop, throwing up water behind them with gusto. Laughing and snorts of joyous happiness came from horse and rider; the stress of the real world left behind for just this brief hour, like the water that flew from the horse's hooves.


	3. 30 August: Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
> Gold - a yellow precious metal

Josh didn't get to make the trip from Moorland to Epona very often. Meeting the girls that wanted to run his race took up all of his time. It was only once every few months that he dared to ask one of the Bobcat girls to look after his race for a day.

Today was one of those days.

The sun sent its gold glow down on the ground, beating onto the back of Josh's neck as he trotted up the path to the abandoned farm, dodging the racers. He made his way along the path to the bridge and crossed it, giving a cheery wave to Ed Field outside Wolf Hall Inn. He then got the trailer to take him to New Hillcrest.

Once arrived, he left his horse in the New Hillcrest stable, not wanting the complaints about eaten crops like last time. Now on foot, he made his gentle way up to the town, past the new modern houses to follow the path past the wheat fields to The Great Thunder, or more specifically, the work-in-progress bridge. Or even more specifically, the man that was working there.

With a casual lean against the wall, Josh looked down at the sweating man, who was tying ropes at his feet. 'Hey.'

Scott looked up, the sun reflecting white off of his sweat. A broad grin spread across his lips, gold tooth glinting in the glow. 'Well,' he crooned, standing up slowly, 'look who finally decided to come see me.'

Even though the words could have stung, the tone - warm and gentle - did not.

'Thought I'd better get it over and done with,' the cowboy sighed, looking at his nails as though he wanted to be anywhere but here.

'Better make it worth it, then, eh?'

Abandoning his work, knowing that no one would bother to steal them, not with a towering white brute of a horse standing over it, Scott grasped Josh's hand and led him back along the path to the town, stealing stealthily into Scott's house.

Once inside, Scott grasped Josh's lips in his own, pushing him against the wall of the hallway.

'Missed you,' he murmured into the cowboy's mouth.

'Missed you too, Gold Boy,' Josh mumbled back.

"Gold Boy" had come from the repeated reassurance that Scott, despite his father's terrible nature and the tainted name of the Buttergoods, was worth his weight in gold; that he was valuable and loved, especially by a certain Josh.

Worth his weight in gold was a compliment that could not be bested, by anyone. Because it was _his_ Josh, _his_ boyfriend, that said that to him. And there was nothing more special to him than that.


	4. 31 August: Converse

'Hey, Ellie!' Marley called, waving, 'whoa, cool sneakers!'

'Trainers,' Ellie corrected automatically, 'sorry, sorry!' she cried, realising her mistake, 'force of habit, and thanks.'

It was much the same all over Jorvik. Training on Smokey today, she received comments on her converse trainers all day. Jasper was especially a fan.

'I just love the colours! Always been a fan of rainbows, me. And that silver trim, oh, it's to die for!' he cried.

Ellie laughed. 'Thanks, Jasper,' she said, 'you gonna let me ride the race now?'

'Oh, sure, sure, sorry.'

As she was hunched over Smokey's neck as he ran at full gallop, she pondered over the old man's excitement. Almost flamboyant... Maybe Jasper had more than just a few family secrets.


	5. 1 September: Fine Dining

Their anniversary was not the happiest of events. It only reminded them how long they had kept their relationship a secret. Two years now. That was a long time to keep a secret. Such a long time.

Nevertheless, Scott wanted to do something nice to celebrate it. He rang Josh and told him to be at the restaurant at the winery for about half eight. That was all he'd say.

Scott booked a table for two in the private room. After two years, he guessed that Josh wouldn't want the rest of the customers in the restaurant to know about them.

He had put on his best shirt and trousers and struggled with a bow tie, topping it off with a black version of his usual western hat. He arrived at the restaurant and was shown to his table. Nervously, he arranged the flowers on the vase on the table and straightened the serviettes.

He was given two menus and decided to look through and see what he wanted. His eyes immediately landed on the prices. 'Shit...' he muttered to himself. He skimmed the choices and decided on the seafood platter.

He heard the door open and his face reddened. Josh strolled in, taking a seat in front of Scott. He wore a deep blue suit over the top of a pristine white shirt, with a blue and white striped tie. He wore no hat and Scott looked over the ruffled grey hair; almost thinking of taking his own hat off, but decided against it. That hat was his armour and taking it off would feel alien.

'Hi,' Josh said, smiling and picking up the menu.

'Hey,' Scott replied, fiddling with the corner of his own menu.

'Stars are nice tonight.'

Scott looked up, he hadn't noticed the lack of ceiling. 'Yeah,' he responded.

'So...' Josh started, putting down the menu, 'two years.'

The older man nodded.

'Two years of secrets.'

Scott looked away, he hadn't wanted to talk about that.

'I thought we might tell people now?'

Scott choked on the water he had just started drinking. Coughing, he blamed the tears on the near death experience, not the idea of telling his dad that he was... _you know_.

Josh looked down. 'I guess not,' he said. 'It's just your dad, innit?'

Scott nodded, weakly. 'He's obsessed with the idea of me having kids,' he sighed, 'I've said to him, like, a thousand times that I don't want them. But all he says is that because Junior can't have kids, I'm the next best thing...' Scott looked away. 'He wants me to give any kids that I have to Junior, and for him to be their legal guardian. I'd be their uncle and they wouldn't know any different.' He sneered. 'Poor little bastards with Junior as their dad.'

Josh sighed and put his hand over Scott's. 'Then we don't have to tell him if you don't want to.'

Scott smiled. 'Thank you.'


	6. 2 September: Stable

After a long day of training and chores, sometimes Ellie just liked to chill out with a book in her stable, surrounded by her nattering horses. They spoke about everything, from how good the food was to how awesome the trail rides were.

'Me and Heinz have an announcement,' Billy said, interrupting Smokey's spiel about the races at the winery.

Ellie sat up, putting down her book. The rest of her horses looked away from the big brown Shire and at the small black Quarter Horse, their ears flicking with interest.

'Um...' the black horse cleared his throat, 'for a few months now, me and Heinz... we, er...' he hesitated, 'well... he's my mate, like, you know.'

Every horse in the stable raised their eyebrows. A hush descended on the stable.

Ellie grinned. 'Aw, congrats, you guys!' she said.

Miles laughed. 'Yeah, nice one, you two.'

The rest of the horses soon joined in with the praise and congratulations. Heinz and Billy beamed. So did Rusty and Chief, who looked at each other knowingly. They remembered their own fear when telling their friends they were mates.

Ellie went back to her book, her horses' chat a gentle background music. She noticed that Heinz and Billy stood a little closer to each other then before.


	7. 3 September: Mine

Conrad frowned. Ellie hadn't been available as of late what with the erratic training of her horses. And Conrad needed some rocks from the mine.

It wasn't that he was scared of the mine. Not exactly. He just preferred not to go in.

He put it down to some... experiences as a child.

His dad had always been one for pranks; so dressing up as a scary zombie and jumping out at his son wasn't a treasure to be passed up. Conrad had had an irrational paranoia about Demascus' Mine ever since. What with the odd happenings in Jorvik anyway, zombies wouldn't be especially out of place.

Sitting down and taking a break from the set of shoes he was crafting - the finest to ever be nailed to a horse's hoof in the history of Jorvik- he sighed and ran a hand through his hair; maybe Ellie would available tomorrow...


End file.
